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Breastfeeding and jaundice

L M Gartner1

  • 1Departments of Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
|January 23, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Prolonged jaundice in breastfed newborns, known as breastmilk jaundice, is normal. Breastfeeding jaundice, caused by poor feeding, can increase bilirubin levels and risk severe complications. Optimal practices minimize both.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pediatrics
  • Bilirubin Metabolism

Background:

  • Physiologic jaundice is common in newborns.
  • Breastfed infants can experience prolonged jaundice, termed breastmilk jaundice.
  • Breastfeeding difficulties can lead to increased bilirubin levels, known as breastfeeding jaundice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain the mechanisms of breastmilk jaundice and breastfeeding jaundice.
  • To identify risk factors for prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in newborns.
  • To highlight the importance of optimal breastfeeding practices.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on neonatal jaundice.
  • Analysis of factors influencing bilirubin metabolism in breastfed infants.
  • Correlation of breastfeeding practices with jaundice severity.

Main Results:

  • Breastmilk jaundice involves a factor in human milk increasing bilirubin's enterohepatic circulation.
  • Breastfeeding jaundice results from insufficient caloric intake, increasing enterohepatic circulation.
  • Severe cases of jaundice pose a risk for bilirubin encephalopathy.

Conclusions:

  • Optimal breastfeeding practices, including early weight gain and minimal weight loss, reduce the incidence and severity of both breastfeeding and breastmilk jaundice.
  • Understanding these conditions is crucial for preventing severe hyperbilirubinemia and potential neurological damage.

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